The good news is there are some (emphasis on �some�) movies available for free download on the internet. These free movies are typically movies whose copyrights have expired. You can also find many free documentaries worth a look. The bad news is if you are looking for free downloads of current blockbusters, you are out of luck. You can buy the movies once they leave the theaters and are released to DVD � usually once they�ve appeared on pay-per-view for awhile.

Do not be fooled by sites that offer free, first-run movies. First-run movies, which are currently playing in theaters, are illegal to download from any site free of charge. There are a number of these sites available, but they operate illegally and you can face legal woes if you knowingly download from their sites. What�s more, copy quality is typically quite bad as they are often recorded under poor circumstances. Many pirated copies are obtained by a movie-goer who sneaks a camcorder into a theater and records the movie from their seat. Needless to say, these are less than ideal circumstances and produce grainy, hard-to-watch films often accompanied by poor sound quality.

While you can�t download entire first-run movies for free, you can download clips, trailers and some really interesting background information about the movie, plot and stars. One such site is called �Apple Movie Trailers�. Apple gives you access to hundreds of movies, many of which are quite new. You can watch (free of charge) trailers and clips to your heart�s content.

There are innumerable sites which offer free downloads of documentaries and independent films (also called �Indies�). One such site is Moviesfoundonline.com. This is a great site to browse through. You will be pleasantly surprised at the number (and quality) of full-length movies available for free. Documentaries are especially plentiful and cover a broad range of subjects.

At Moviesfoundonline.com you can download �The Battle for Baghdad (2007)� and The U.S. vs. John Lennon�. Both of these are excellent and informative documentaries available for free download. Documentaries and independent films are often surprisingly good. They can entertain you for hours, save you a trip to the �video� store and you can enjoy them any time in the comfort of your own home.

For the most current movies, you might want to consider a site called Vongo.com. Vongo is a very popular site � they offer newer releases of high quality at affordable prices. Vongo is one of the sites (there are others � search the web) which offers a free trial period. At Vongo, the free trial lasts two weeks (fourteen days). During that time period, you can . At the end of the trial, you may cancel or renew your membership. Membership at Vongo currently costs $9.99 per month - a pretty good deal as they offer high quality and a large selection to choose from.

offers movies for rent at a price of approximately $3.99 per movie. These movies are downloaded to your computer, rather than delivered to your door like some online movie mail-order services. The price is right, quality is good and you can not beat the convenience. YOU choose when and what you want to watch, download it, pop the popcorn and you�re ready to go.